Key head for stringed musical instruments



Oct. 28, 1952 F. A. HAWY KEY HEAD FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed June '7, 1949 km me Patented Oct. 28, 1952 KEY HEAD FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Q FerrisA'Hawy, Columbus, Ohio Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,625

2 Claims.

This invention relates to portable string-operated musical instruments, such as the lute, mandolin, banjo or guitar. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with the neck and key-carrying head construction of the lute or other similar instrument, an object of the invention being to provide in a lute or the like a combined neck and key-carrying head, the latter being of integral one-piece construction and of such design as to provide a head of improved strength and adaptability for the performance of its intended purposes.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel key-carrying head for a lute, or the like, in which the head is provided with a multiplicity of rotatable string-tuning stems or pins, the same being rotated and maintained in adjusted positions of rotation through the use of worm gearing, the metallic parts of the apparatus being unitarily mounted in assembly-providing supports carried in spaced parallel relation by the under side of the head, the top of the head through which the upper ends of the stems or pins project being formed with a guide channel for the reception of the tuning ends of the vibratory strings which are attached to the stems or pins.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the key-carried head of a musical instrument embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, portions of the head being shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the head on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates the vertical neck portion of a stringed musical instrument, such as the lute. The upper end of the neck portion i terminates in a laterally extending key-carrying head 2. In accordance with the present invention, the neck I and the head 2 are formed from an integral body of wood or other material suitable for its composition. The front 3 of the neck portion is formed to comprise the usual fretted finger board, while the upper part of the head 2 is formed with a string-receiving chamber or pocket 4, having side flanges shown at 5. The flat under face of the head 2 is provided with spaced parallel, longitudinally extending grooves 6 adapted for the reception of metallic channel 2 strips 1, which are fastened as at 8 to the head.

The spaced side ribs 9 of the strips I are formed at longitudinally spaced intervals with openings ID in which are rotatably journaled the shanks ll of a plurality of tuning keys l2. Between the ribs 9, the shanks H are formed with worm threads l3, which mesh with the threads on worm gears M, the latter being fixed to the lower ends of a plurality of spring-tensioning stems or pins IS. The latter are rotatably mounted in bearing openings l6 provided therefor in the head 2 and in registering portions of the strips 9. The upper ends of the stems or pins project into the chamber or pocket 4 of the head, and are adapted to have Wound thereabout the ends of a plurality of vibrating strings ll of the musical instrument, the strings, as shown in Fig. 1, extending through the pocket or channel and downwardly over the face of the finger board 3 in appropriately spaced relationship.

My improved turning head is characterized by the fact that there is no back lash between the worm gears and the worms, nor is there any undue binding in the gearing assemblies as a whole. Also, by the employment of the channel strips, the metallic parts of the head may be applied to the head proper as composite units, a feature which facilitates manufacture and insures proper registration and maintenance of such registration between relatively movable parts.

It will be understood, however, that the invention is not to be restricted to the exact mechanical details set forth, since the same may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lute, a neck portion terminating at one end in a laterally extending integral key-carrying head, the upper side of the head being formed with a recessed string-receiving chamber bounded by vertical marginal walls, string-winding and tuning stems extending perpendicularly through said head and terminating at one end within the confines of the marginal walls of said chamber, the under side of said head being provided with a pair of parallel longitudinally extending straight grooves, stationary metallic members positioned in said grooves, rotatable key members carried by said metallic members, and worm gearing actuated by said key members for imparting controlled rotation to said string-winding stems.

2. In a lute, a neck portion terminating at one end in an integral sharply angularly related keycarrying head, said head being recessed at the upper side thereof and formed with a string-receiving chamber bounded by vertical marginal walls, and formed on the under side thereof with longitudinally extending straight grooves; a plurality of relatively spaced rotatable string-receiving and tuning stem extendin perpendicularly through said head and terminating at one end below the plane of the marginal walls bounding said chamber; a plurality of metallic channel members stationarily carried in the grooves formed in the under side of said head; a plurality of manually operable keys rotatably journalled in said channel members and extending laterally outwardly on either side of said head; and worm gearing carried within said channel members and actuated by said keys for imparting controlled 1 rotation to said stems.

FERRIS A. HAWY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 416,715 Cubley Dec. 10, 1889 663,440 Isbell Dec. 11, 1900 726,706 Lang Apr. 28, 1903 2,144,974 Hoyt Jan. 24, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Bibson Catalogue F for 1909, pages 23 and 37. The Cincinnati Enquirer Pictorial Magazine Section, October 9, 1949, page 34. 

